Attachement for wire strands



July 16, 1935. F. w. REILLY 2,008,227

ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE STRANDS Filed Aug. 12, 195s mena-July 1s, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invehtion relates to attachments and fittings for stranded wire structures.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an attachment or iitting whereby the stranded wire structure-will be firmly secured in the attachment or fitting by what can best b e termed a wavely kinked or crimped association, such wavely kinked or crimped association being obtained in the present invention without any appreciable or undue constriction of the wire stranded structure.

Another object is to provide a fitting, or attachment, which, when subjected to the pressure required for anchorage of the inserted cable or other wire structure, will itself be permanently molded or formed by said pressure into its ultimate or ilnal cross-sectional shape.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construe tion and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of `an attachment or fitting made in accordance with the present invention but before it has been secured to a stranded wire structure;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the attachment illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but partly in section, showing a stranded wire structure inserted within the attachment;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the attachment after it has been compressed to crimp the stranded wire structure whereby the latter is secured in the attachment;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is an. end view of the attachment shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the modified form of attachment with the stranded wire structure inserted therein;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the stranded wire structure secured in the ttng by crimping;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view on the line 8--9 of Fig. 8.

The term stranded wire structure as used herein designates a plurality of wires laid together in a spiral form about a common longitudinal axis,forming a simple strand, or a plurality of such strands laid together in a spiral form about a common longitudinal axis to form a multiple strand wire rope structure. In the latter case, the center portion oi' the structure may be formed of non-metallic material, fiber centers often being used in wire rope structures. These various formations or arrangements of a` multiplicity of wires, or strands, are the general prod- 5 ucts of wire rope manufacturers of today.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the attachment comprises a sleeve-like portion, having an axial bore I0 therein and external protuberances Il preferably arranged throughout substantially the entire l0 length of the sleeve-like portion. In this form of the attachment, the protuberances Il are in the form of an open or spaced helical rib, with the valley, or depression, between two juxtaposed raised portions of the rib at any point on the ex- 15 terior of the sleeve being disposed opposite a raised portion at a point diametrically opposite such valley or depression. In other words, the protuberances disposed longitudinally of the sleeve at any point on its surface are staggered 20 with respect to the protuberances at a diametrically opposite point on the surface of the sleeve.

At one end the sleeve portion merges into a suitable formation for attachment, or connection. with other members. In the attachment shown 25 in Figs. 1 to 4, this end is in the form of a clevisedV end portion i2.

It will be observed that the bore within the sleeve portion is straight and disposed coincident with the axis of the sleeve, so that a stranded 30 wire structure I3 may be readily inserted therein, as shown in Fig. 3. In applying, or securing, the attachment on a stranded wire structure the latter is inserted in the bore I0 and, then, suitable pressure applied to the exterior of the sleeve, 35 under which circumstances, the irregularities on thesleeve, in this instance, the helical rib, will be transferred, so to speak, to the wall of the bore I0 with the result that a crimping action is imposed upon the stranded wire structure. 40 In other words, the deformations originally on the exterior of a sleeve are transferred to the interior of the sleeve, but, as the irregularities are staggered with respect to each other at opposite sides of the sleeve, there is secured a 45 crimping, or the formation of undulations, in the stranded wire structure as distinguished from the formation of appreciable constrictions or any appreciable compression of the stranded wire structure. At the same time the exterior of the 50 sleeve is reduced to its final or ultimate crosssectional shape. v

As Just pointed out, there is no constriction, or substantial reduction of a stranded wire structure in the present tting, and, therefore, there is not imparted to said structure any high radial pressure. This distinction between crimping and any considerable reduction in the diameter of the stranded Awire structure is important, because, where the stranded wire structure is constricted, the reduction in diameter results in the various wires being deformed at the point of contact with other wires. In ordinary wire strand construction, the successive layers of wires are frequently wound in opposite spiral directions with the result that wires in successive layers cross each other at an angle. Therefore, when a high radial pressure is applied to such a wire structure, the wires are forced into each other at their points of contact and, as a result, the individual wires suier a reduction in cross-sectional area. Consequently, there is a reduction of strength. On the other hand, where the original irregularities of the exterior of the sleeve are staggered with respect to one another, and the transfer of these irregularities to the interior of the sleeve does nothing more than form crimps, or undulations, in the stranded wire structure without any appreciable radial pressures being set up in said structure, these diiiiculties just outlined are eliminated.

In the form of attachment shown in Figs. 5 to 9, the irregularities, or undulations, Il, originally formed on the exterior of the sleeve-like portion of the attachment are arranged in a single plane, so to speak, transversely of said sleevelike portion. This is clearly shown in Fig. 6. Described somewhat more in detail, the modied form of attachment comprises the irregularities Il on the exterior of the sleeve-like portion, the raised portions constituted by said irregularities being disposed opposite the dished portions at diametrically opposite sides. The bore I0 coincides with the longitudinal axis of the sleevelike portion, aifordingf easy insertion o!v the stranded wire structure I3. After the stranded wire structure is inserted in the bore I0, necessary pressure is applied to the exterior of the attachment, so that the projections Il are transferred to the interior and deforxn the stranded wire structure, as shown in Fig. 8. In this instance, one end of the attachment is provided with a threaded socket Il for attachment of any member that is to be connected thereto.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the stranded wire structure may extend through only a partial length of the attachment, or the entire length thereof and, also, that the tting may be applied intermediately upon the stranded wire structure for the purpose of forming a stop or the like. The extent of crimping should also be regulated, or determined, by a minimum sound wall thickness between the longitudinal bore and the outer periphery of the sleeve-like portion.

While attachments embodying my invention have, by reason of eiecting anchorage by undulation rather than constriction, especial utility and advantage when used on stranded wire structures, they are by no means restricted to use thereon but are applicable to other structures such as single strand wire and ilexible rods. I therefore claim my invention broadly, as indicated by the appended claim.

An attachment for anchored installation upon wire structures such as stranded wire cable and the like, said attachment having a malleable metallic body portion provided with an axial borev for receiving the cable or the like, and having an integral external rib of helical form the pitch of which is such as toV provide a complementary helical indentation 180 degrees displaced with respect to said helical rib.

FRANK WARD REILLY. 

